Thursday, June 09, 2016

New Canadian Film and TV Production Leader Created as Vancouver Film Studios and LA-Based EveryWhere Studios Join Forces to Launch 50° North Productions

New Canadian Film and TV Production Leader Created as Vancouver Film Studios and LA-Based EveryWhere Studios Join Forces to Launch 50° North Productions

VANCOUVER, June 9, 2016 /CNW/ - The McLean Group's Vancouver Film Studios ("VFS") and EveryWhere Studios today launched 50° North Productions (50° North), a Canadian television and film studio with full in-house production capability. 50° North brings together one of the largest independent production facilities in North America with EveryWhere's track record of award-winning creative content and development.

This partnership creates a unique opportunity to unify the strengths of the Canadian and US entertainment industries. The structure of 50° North will allow the company to produce filmed content in Canada using the financial and operational advantages of a single, Canadian-based company. With development offices in Vancouver and Los Angeles, production facilities in Vancouver, and a deep team of seasoned entertainment industry executives, 50° North launches with a strong foundation and a number of new production opportunities in the immediate-term pipeline.

The new partnership anticipates announcing its first production under the 50° North banner in June 2016, and has projects in development at Universal, Hallmark, UPtv and Lifetime.

"This partnership is a natural extension of our film business, enabling us to seamlessly deliver the full production process, from content origination to shooting and staging," said Sacha McLean, Chairman of 50° North Productions and Vice Chairman of The McLean Group. "50° North is a proudly Canadian, vertically integrated entertainment company and we are excited to be partnering with EveryWhere and their visionary leadership."

"Vancouver Film Studios can take considerable credit for building Vancouver's, and Canada's reputation as a production destination and we are delighted to partner with them in this new venture," said David Calvert-Jones, Chairman, EveryWhere Studios. "Bringing our respective skill sets together is a natural fit and we look forward to quickly bringing to life some of the exciting new concepts currently in development."

Charles Lyall, a 20+ year veteran line producer with vast experience producing and managing U.S. network prime time series and movies, will lead 50° North's physical production team. Among his many credits, Mr. Lyall line produced 66 episodes of the Emmy Award winning, HUB Network children's series, R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour, as well as production managed the first two seasons of the hit TV series, The Flash.

For nearly 20 years, VFS has been Canada's leading choice for television and feature film production, hosting more than 100 feature films, television series, and commercials. With 12 purpose-built sound stages and a suite of support services, the facility is uniquely designed to meet the needs of the most demanding projects.

EveryWhere Studios is a partnership between former founder and Chairman of Helifilms, David Calvert-Jones; Emmy, Peabody and WGA award-winning family content producer Dan Angel; and veteran TV executive, Tom Mazza, formerly President of Sony Television and Executive Vice President for Creative Affairs at Paramount Television Studios. Collectively, EveryWhere's management has supervised more than $1 billion in television production.

About Vancouver Film Studios (www.vancouverfilmstudios.com)
Owned and operated by the McLean family of The McLean Group of Companies, Vancouver Film Studios story began as a series of warehouses. Since acquiring Northstar International Studios in 1987 and rebranding as Vancouver Film Studios in 1999, the company has erected 12 purpose-built sound stages alongside mill spaces and offices to serve the growing needs of international and North American filmmakers and producers. VFS is a full-service studio facility and features an array of support services, provided by four sister companies, each one fully owned and managed by The McLean Group of Companies.

About EveryWhere Studios (www.everywhere-studios.com)
EveryWhere Studios has created and developed award-winning family television both independently and within the studio system. The team brings a track record of award-winning TV movies/series and feature films and extensive experience in film and TV financing. EveryWhere is well-known for its slate of studio-quality, mass appeal, family friendly entertainment content. Recent hit projects include Hallmark's THE BRIDGE; Lifetime's MY SWEET AUDRINA; Universal's MONSTERVILLE: Cabinet of Souls.